DeTomaso restoration
Discussion
After last years import saga the restoration is now well under way with the car now down to pretty much her bare shell.
The good news is that there is precious little rot in the shell of the car with the only open metal surgery being rebuilding both rear wings and all four doors. This may sound pretty grim but given the cars age and origin this to my mind amounts to almost ‘Rust free’ status!
Mechanically I’m going for a full engine rebuild although it appears the only apparent fault is a worn pushrod on one of the pots. I’m replacing the original carb with a bigger 660 Holley as well as fettling the intake manifold and putting some warmer cams on. Although not standard on my own car the factory never turned out two cars the same and these mods were quite possible at the time the car was built.
No two cars were ever the same and it seems my own car was equipped with an LSD which seems strange as this has never appeared on any of the other cars. Unless of course the Pope had one done to this spec for rapid progress around the Vatican
Anyway, the colour is now agreed on which is Rubino Rosso as can be seen on this immaculate German car which I think looks the business and will suit the tan interior well.
I’m off up to South Yorkshire next Saturday so I’ll take some pictures of her pulled apart and post them up. Hopefully if Ted has the next Pistonfest at Sneterton I’ll be able to bring her along as completion is due for spring 07.
She’s swallowing £2k per month at the moment! Remember folks, a DeTomaso is for life and not just for Christmas
The good news is that there is precious little rot in the shell of the car with the only open metal surgery being rebuilding both rear wings and all four doors. This may sound pretty grim but given the cars age and origin this to my mind amounts to almost ‘Rust free’ status!
Mechanically I’m going for a full engine rebuild although it appears the only apparent fault is a worn pushrod on one of the pots. I’m replacing the original carb with a bigger 660 Holley as well as fettling the intake manifold and putting some warmer cams on. Although not standard on my own car the factory never turned out two cars the same and these mods were quite possible at the time the car was built.
No two cars were ever the same and it seems my own car was equipped with an LSD which seems strange as this has never appeared on any of the other cars. Unless of course the Pope had one done to this spec for rapid progress around the Vatican
Anyway, the colour is now agreed on which is Rubino Rosso as can be seen on this immaculate German car which I think looks the business and will suit the tan interior well.
I’m off up to South Yorkshire next Saturday so I’ll take some pictures of her pulled apart and post them up. Hopefully if Ted has the next Pistonfest at Sneterton I’ll be able to bring her along as completion is due for spring 07.
She’s swallowing £2k per month at the moment! Remember folks, a DeTomaso is for life and not just for Christmas
Dan, no that wouldn’t be mine as she’s been pulled apart and is now on her way back to loveliness.
Are you sure it was a Deauville? I know there has been a Longchamp doing the rounds at one or two events which was caught on camera by Classic & Sports Car at event but I have to confess I’m not sure whether any of the Deauville that are left in the UK would have been running early this year!
My own cars first public outing asides from a trip to an Ace Café night will be next summers Goodwood FOS for the concourse, that was the brief to the company restoring her so fingers crossed she is deemed suitable for such a beauty pageant for the odd, wafty and downright obscure
However next summer (isn’t it always) were having a Deauville to Deauville run just before Le Man when we are going to try and get as many of them that are left in Europe to Deauville for a couple of days. If wasting huge sums of money on restoring one isn’t bad enough to then go a seaside resort full of casinos is akin to madness. Good fun though!
Yertis, now if memory serves me correctly I have done this one before, it looks like an XJ40 which came much later not an XJ12. Anyway it’s faster on the road than an XJ12 and left outside in the British weather will rust much faster than an XJ12, its electrics are as bad as an XJ12 and it cost three times as much as an XJ12. Something tells me this mat be why they are quite rare
Are you sure it was a Deauville? I know there has been a Longchamp doing the rounds at one or two events which was caught on camera by Classic & Sports Car at event but I have to confess I’m not sure whether any of the Deauville that are left in the UK would have been running early this year!
My own cars first public outing asides from a trip to an Ace Café night will be next summers Goodwood FOS for the concourse, that was the brief to the company restoring her so fingers crossed she is deemed suitable for such a beauty pageant for the odd, wafty and downright obscure
However next summer (isn’t it always) were having a Deauville to Deauville run just before Le Man when we are going to try and get as many of them that are left in Europe to Deauville for a couple of days. If wasting huge sums of money on restoring one isn’t bad enough to then go a seaside resort full of casinos is akin to madness. Good fun though!
Yertis, now if memory serves me correctly I have done this one before, it looks like an XJ40 which came much later not an XJ12. Anyway it’s faster on the road than an XJ12 and left outside in the British weather will rust much faster than an XJ12, its electrics are as bad as an XJ12 and it cost three times as much as an XJ12. Something tells me this mat be why they are quite rare
vario-rob said:
Yertis, now if memory serves me correctly I have done this one before, it looks like an XJ40 which came much later not an XJ12. Anyway it’s faster on the road than an XJ12 and left outside in the British weather will rust much faster than an XJ12, its electrics are as bad as an XJ12 and it cost three times as much as an XJ12. Something tells me this mat be why they are quite rare
I know I was pulling your leg. Didn't one of the Saatchi brothers own one?
yertis said:
Yertis, now if memory serves me correctly I have done this one before, it looks like an XJ40 which came much later not an XJ12. Anyway it’s faster on the road than an XJ12 and left outside in the British weather will rust much faster than an XJ12, its electrics are as bad as an XJ12 and it cost three times as much as an XJ12. Something tells me this mat be why they are quite rare
I know I was pulling your leg. Didn't one of the Saatchi brothers own one?
Apparently they both had a Deauville, one car is known about the other one isn’t.
Supposedly the lost Saatchi car now lives on Jersey the other one lives on the south coast and is evidently a very nice Series 2 car in black. One of them (I’m not sure which) had a tuned engine and low ratio box which meant is was one damn quick bit of kit around the capital but topped out at no much than a ton.
All this likening of the Deauville to a King-size Fag what ever next? You’ll be telling me a Longchamp looks like an SLC Merc. Bah humbug!
yertis said:
[quote=vario-rob] . . . And I always think that the Espada looks just like a Jaguar Piranha...
Are you nuts!
. . . it's luverly and I want one.
For those of you who like all things antiquarian and Italian this months Auto Italia has a very nice feature on a Series 3 Espada this month made even more tasty by its series 2 Miura style wheels.
Anyway after having read it last night as a bit of bed time reading it struck me that all these classic magazines could condense down their copy to ‘101 things to do with a set of Carello rear lights’
Just look at pretty much every DeTomaso, Lamborghini, ISO from the late 60’s to the late 70’s and it’s a rusty car held together by a set of Carello rear lights! With this in mind I issued a stark warning to the restorer of my Deauville to go carefully when he removed as clearly there was great risk of the car simply vaporising when they were taken out!
I had visions of four tyres and perfect set of Carello rear lights but precious little else. Perhaps the OEM Shagpile might have survived but you can never tell.
So here’s a question for you all, the car’s Shagpile is worryingly original, do you replace it with new shagpile or go for something slightly less John Holmes?
I feel a letter to Buckley coming on
Anyway after having read it last night as a bit of bed time reading it struck me that all these classic magazines could condense down their copy to ‘101 things to do with a set of Carello rear lights’
Just look at pretty much every DeTomaso, Lamborghini, ISO from the late 60’s to the late 70’s and it’s a rusty car held together by a set of Carello rear lights! With this in mind I issued a stark warning to the restorer of my Deauville to go carefully when he removed as clearly there was great risk of the car simply vaporising when they were taken out!
I had visions of four tyres and perfect set of Carello rear lights but precious little else. Perhaps the OEM Shagpile might have survived but you can never tell.
So here’s a question for you all, the car’s Shagpile is worryingly original, do you replace it with new shagpile or go for something slightly less John Holmes?
I feel a letter to Buckley coming on
vario-rob said:
So here’s a question for you all, the car’s Shagpile is worryingly original, do you replace it with new shagpile or go for something slightly less John Holmes?
I feel a letter to Buckley coming on
Try washing it in the washing machine (seriously!).
If that doesn't give the wanted result, use the shagpile as a template for new carpets.
Great car, love to see pics of the restoration!
Choice of colour is excellent!
By the way:
Who is John Holmes and who is Buckley?
Vario Rob
Your colour choice is going to look superb, gives the car an air of sophistication, as a teenager in the 1970's I was fascinated with De Tomaso and caught a coach from Colchester to Victoria, London and made my way to MTC cars at Westbourne Grove who were the UK Concessionaires at the time. I remember seeing a Pantera and a Longchamp for the first time. Unfortunately there was no Deauville to view, however on the walk back to Victoria I spotted down one of the cobbled Mews a dark metallic blue one (still have the photo) and it looked stunning. To this day I have never seen another. As I also live in East Anglia I would love to see your car when it’s finished.
Your colour choice is going to look superb, gives the car an air of sophistication, as a teenager in the 1970's I was fascinated with De Tomaso and caught a coach from Colchester to Victoria, London and made my way to MTC cars at Westbourne Grove who were the UK Concessionaires at the time. I remember seeing a Pantera and a Longchamp for the first time. Unfortunately there was no Deauville to view, however on the walk back to Victoria I spotted down one of the cobbled Mews a dark metallic blue one (still have the photo) and it looked stunning. To this day I have never seen another. As I also live in East Anglia I would love to see your car when it’s finished.
Piper, I would be delighted to show you over her once she’s finished towards the end of this year. I do venture along to the odd local PH gathering so drop me a line if you fancy meeting up for chat and a jar at the new venue? Alas too few seem alert to the wonder of DeTomaso’s finest
If possible if you could send me a picture of the Deauville it would be very much appreciated, the DTDC keeps a registry and I wonder given the colour of the car you mention if it is the one owned by the chap restoring mine?
We are always looking for new copy for the club magazine and all help with the marque is always much appreciated, there are only 99 members after all
As I’ve posted elsewhere on this forum in the past there were only a tiny handful ever imported, the Saatchi’s having accounted for 3 of the 20 or so that ever made it here.
Many thanks for the kind words on colour choice, the alternative was of course Godfather Black
If possible if you could send me a picture of the Deauville it would be very much appreciated, the DTDC keeps a registry and I wonder given the colour of the car you mention if it is the one owned by the chap restoring mine?
We are always looking for new copy for the club magazine and all help with the marque is always much appreciated, there are only 99 members after all
As I’ve posted elsewhere on this forum in the past there were only a tiny handful ever imported, the Saatchi’s having accounted for 3 of the 20 or so that ever made it here.
Many thanks for the kind words on colour choice, the alternative was of course Godfather Black
Here we go folks, something to truly make you weep!
As you can see the work is well underway with the only real areas of ‘tin worm’ being on the front edge of the roof where it meets the front screen which will need very careful attention, the rear arches, all four doors and around the front valence.
The wood work is a rather unpleasant orange colour having been heartily baked in Southern Australia for many years. Some thoughts on whether to pursue something more sober like a traditional Jaguar Walnut or any other ideas would be very much appreciated.
The electrics a truly scary with two full alarm systems being well concealed in that dashboard somewhere.
There is still a huge amount of work to do but sensibly it will early 2007 before she’s ready to roll.
As you can see the work is well underway with the only real areas of ‘tin worm’ being on the front edge of the roof where it meets the front screen which will need very careful attention, the rear arches, all four doors and around the front valence.
The wood work is a rather unpleasant orange colour having been heartily baked in Southern Australia for many years. Some thoughts on whether to pursue something more sober like a traditional Jaguar Walnut or any other ideas would be very much appreciated.
The electrics a truly scary with two full alarm systems being well concealed in that dashboard somewhere.
There is still a huge amount of work to do but sensibly it will early 2007 before she’s ready to roll.
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